Single-Occupancy Cell Pilot Program.

Assembly Member Connolly's prison reform initiative directs the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to house 10% of inmates in single-occupancy cells at four adult facilities, launching a pilot program to examine the relationship between private housing and rehabilitation outcomes.

The program, set to begin January 1, 2027, requires the department secretary to establish selection criteria for both participating facilities and inmates. Medical facilities and state hospitals are excluded from consideration, as are individuals in safety cells, detoxification units, and temporary holding areas. The pilot aims to gather data on whether private cells affect participation in work, education, and treatment programs.

By March 2028, the department must submit a comprehensive public report analyzing the program's first year. Required metrics include facility capacity data, participation rates in rehabilitative programming, and monthly tracking of disciplinary incidents and violence, with comparisons between single and shared housing units. The report must also detail facility modifications made to implement the program and document the specific criteria used to assign inmates to private cells.

The legislation stems from research cited in its findings that links shared prison housing to increased stress levels, sleep disruption, and elevated blood pressure among inmates. While acknowledging studies showing higher suicide rates in single cells, the bill specifies that private housing should serve as an incentive rather than a punitive measure. The findings note that reducing overcrowding may decrease tensions between inmates and staff while creating conditions more conducive to rehabilitation programming.